Why wine costs what it does

What a winery spends to make one bottle of each style, from the cheapest case to the dearest. Tap one to see where the money goes.

Burgundy grand cru (Pinot Noir)

$48–$283 to make one bottle

A Pinot Noir from one of the top-ranked vineyards of Burgundy. The plots are tiny and each vine gives very little wine.

Pomerol micro-estate (Merlot)

$29–$101 to make one bottle

A Merlot from a tiny estate in Pomerol, on some of the most expensive land in Bordeaux.

Burgundy premier cru

$22–$98 to make one bottle

A Burgundy from a vineyard one step below the very top rank.

Bordeaux first growth

$28–$95 to make one bottle

A red from one of the five top-ranked estates of Bordeaux. Every barrel is new, the grapes are picked by hand, and the wine waits more than a year and a half before bottling.

Champagne prestige cuvée

$26–$89 to make one bottle

The top bottle of a big Champagne house. It is made from the best grapes, aged six to ten years, and sold in a heavy bottle and a smart box.

Barolo single-cru

$21–$82 to make one bottle

A top Barolo from one famous vineyard in north-west Italy. It is made from the Nebbiolo grape and rests for more than three years before it is sold.

What really determines the cost of a bottle of wine?

Grapes, land, labour, barrels, time and glass — itemised, sourced, and set beside what the market pays.

The economics of oak barrels

A $1,200 barrel holds 300 bottles and is used one to five times: how the arithmetic of oak works and why 'new oak' is a cost decision as much as a style.

Why Burgundy prices became so expensive

Inheritance law, 550 hectares of grand cru, allocation pricing and a decade of Asian demand: the arithmetic behind the most expensive wines in the world.

How wine distribution margins work

From the château gate to the shelf: the négociant, the importer, the distributor and the retailer each take a margin, and together they can double the price.